Set Piece Social: A Pub for Women’s Sports
Written by Josie Wise
On a quiet street near Homerton Station in London, if one was looking for a good time and women’s sports they would just need to follow the muffled music, chatter, and sound of a sports commentator into the event space that temporarily transformed into Set Piece Social. This place is more than your average sports bar- Set Piece Social is dedicated to only showing women’s sports on its screen.
Set Piece Social is a vibey, buzzing venue. On a Sunday afternoon, the place was filled with bespoke decor, free t-shirts, and most importantly, people. A bar was offered, with as many drinks from women-owned businesses as possible and an extensive non-alcoholic selection. The bar also rotates female chefs to provide food for customers.
Partners Kate Hetherington and Naomi Fitzgibbons started Set Piece Social because they were tired of going into regular bars and pubs and needing to ask, sometimes to no avail, to show women’s sports.
It’s not surprising Set Piece Social doesn’t struggle to fill the bar. A 2023 study by Wasserman’s Collective found a surge of nearly 16 million new viewers to the WSL in 2022 following the Lionesses victory in the Euros.
While Set Piece Social does the job of showing women’s sports to fans, there is one challenge constantly looming over them. They often have difficulty finding how games are being broadcasted or streamed live. This is frustrating for the two owners because it provides a barrier to the one thing they promise customers.
This lack of live women’s sports is felt far and wide. A study from the Women’s Sports Trust and the R&A in June 2023 found that 68% of committed women’s sports fans in the UK want to see greater innovation in women’s sports broadcasts.
“People are primarily here for the match, not to drink,” Fitzgibbons said.
The WSL match they were playing was being streamed through YouTube, an unconventional platform for watching live sports. Fitzgibbons and Hetherington hope to prove that people want to watch women’s sports with Set Piece Social, and therefore prove the need for more convenient broadcasting.
Lara Kerrison, a patron watching the Arsenal v. Leicester game, said it was a struggle to find somewhere to stream the game. She found Set Piece Social on Instagram and chose to head over to watch the match.
“It’s nice that somewhere is screening it,” Kerrison said, “And it’s somewhere with a good atmosphere, good eats, and good energy.”
The space created through Set Piece Social not only puts women’s sports front and center, it also provides an environment where people can safely express themselves and have loads of fun.
“Marathon Max,” a friend of Kate and Naomi’s, said she volunteers her weekends running drinks and bussing tables because she passionately believes in their mission. She said the environment her friends created is unlike anywhere else.